Westbound I-94 near Moorhead reopens after officer-involved shooting

A state trooper responding to a one-vehicle crash Monday morning on Interstate 94 near Moorhead, Minn., fired a gun and injured a woman who had been driving the vehicle. A male passenger in the car was arrested, authorities said.

Police did not say what led to the shooting, but said a firearm was recovered at the scene.

The trooper, who has yet to be named, came upon the scene about 3 miles east of Moorhead about 10:30 a.m. and found the vehicle, which struck the median barrier in the westbound lanes after the driver lost control of the car. The trooper made contact with the two people inside the car and at some point during the encounter, the trooper discharged a weapon, said Sgt. Jesse Grabow of the State Patrol.

The woman ran, but was found in a nearby field with a gunshot wound. She was taken to Essentia Hospital in Fargo. The man was arrested, Grabow said.

The trooper was not hurt, but was placed on standard paid leave, Grabow said.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is leading the investigation. Deputies from the Clay County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Moorhead, Barnesville and Dilworth police departments responded to the incident.

Authorities closed the westbound lanes of I-94 for several hours and traffic was diverted off the freeway at exit 15 near Downer, Minn. Grabow tweeted shortly after 8 p.m. Monday that the westbound lane had reopened.